Saudi Elected by the U.N. Assembly

By PAUL LEWIS,

Published: September 18, 1991

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 17—
Helped by his country's victory in the Persian Gulf war, Saudi Arabia's United Nations representative, Samir Shihabi, surprised many today by easily winning election to the largely ceremonial post of President of the 46th General Assembly.

More predictable on the Assembly's opening day were the votes formally admitting North and South Korea, the three newly independent Baltic republics, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia, raising United Nations membership to 166.

The election of Mr. Shihabi by secret ballot was unusual. The General Assembly presidency is ordinarily rotated among the regions of the world, with each group of nations agreeing among themselves in advance which country should take it. A Contest Among Asians

But this year a three-way race developed between the members of the large Asian group, whose turn it was to fill the post. Papua New Guinea declared its candidacy more than a year ago and appeared ready to take the post until earlier this summer when Yemen entered the race, followed by Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Shihabi won on the first ballot with 83 of the 150 valid votes cast, defying the experts, who had generally expected Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister, Michael Somare, to win. Mr. Somare received 47 votes and Yemen's candidate, Abdullah Saleh al-Ashtal, 20.

As president, Mr. Shihabi will be responsible for moving nearly 150 items through General Assembly deliberations.

During his seven years as United Nations envoy, Mr. Shihabi has constantly pressed his Government to adopt a higher profile at the world organization, where it has not previously sought or occupied a position of any significance.

Saudi Arabia has never sat on the Security Council, for instance, or served as chairman of an important United Nations committee. Yemenis Riled the King

This summer, arguing that the Persian Gulf war had made it more necessary then ever for Saudi Arabia to play a bigger international role, Mr. Shihabi won the support of Prince Bandar, the influential Saudi Ambassador in Washington, and persuaded King Fahd to let him have a crack at the United Nations post.

The deciding factor, many diplomats believe, was Yemen's decision to seek the Assembly presidency, with King Fahd refusing to allow a country that had supported Iraq in the gulf war to campaign for the post unchallenged by the rest of the Arab world.

Although Mr. Shihabi will preside over the Assembly in the white kaffiyeh and gold-trimmed black robe favored by Saudi notables, he is in fact a Palestinian by origin and is married to a Norwegian.

Born in Jerusalem on May 27, 1925, he joined the Saudi foreign service in 1949, a year after the independence of Israel and following legal studies at Yale and Cambridge.

A friendly, avuncular figure, Mr Shihabi has a son and a daughter and collects ornate walking sticks, which he often carries around the United Nations. He keeps a generous supply of chocolate in his pocket, which he hands out to friends as he strolls around the buildings.

He served first in Switzerland and Italy and was Saudi Ambassador to Turkey, Somalia and Pakistan before coming to the United Nations in 1983.

His first day in the Assembly presidency was a notable one, with the admission of seven new members, including the two Koreas and the three Baltic nations, as well as the Marshall islands and Micronesia in the Pacific.

Mr. Shihabi asked the chief of protocol to escort the new delegations, one by one, to their places in the huge General Assembly hall.

The Koreas and the Pacific nations were seated quietly, but Assembly members broke into loud applause as the Baltic delegations entered to take their places.

Later, Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar presided over the ceremonial raising of their flags alongside those of the 159 other members in the United Nations gardens overlooking First Avenue.

Photo: Samir Shihabi of Saudi Arabia, right, who was elected President of the United Nations' 46th General Assembly yesterday, conferring at session with Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar. (Marilynn K. Yee/The New York Times)